| Pictures of the ground taken from high altitudes | | | | to form a simulation of three dimensional |
| belong to what is often called as aerial | | | | landscapes. |
| photography. All kinds of platforms may be | | | | Artistic projects, commercial advertising, |
| employed here; from kites, poles and parachutes | | | | surveillance and environmental studies are only a |
| to helicopters, dirigibles, balloons and planes. The | | | | few of the other domains in which such |
| history of this type of photography business | | | | photography plays a vital role. Another issue here |
| started in the mid-19th century France with the | | | | is the chance to document events and features |
| balloonist Gaspard Felix Tournachon. In time, all | | | | on non-public properties. This type of photography |
| kinds of motion picture cameras were mounted | | | | is needed for many legal actions since anything |
| on aircrafts, especially for the army and security | | | | that may be observed from public space doesn't |
| purposes. | | | | in any way infringe the legal right to privacy, as |
| This kind of photography serves for a variety of | | | | stated by the US law system. |
| purposes and applications. Since digicams are | | | | Aerial video is turning into the alternative option to |
| generally available for the average consumer, a lot | | | | this kind of photography, since meta data can be |
| of people take such photography. Yet, the | | | | inserted in the video using the GPS (or the Global |
| systematic approach is more extended. This | | | | Positioning System). This would only indicate that |
| photography is quite practical for cartography. | | | | technology and science may be moving beyond |
| Topographic maps would be really tough to create | | | | the field of this type of photography into |
| without such photographs. These applications | | | | something more sophisticated. The complexity of |
| aren't new, but the novelty now consists in the | | | | the applications is quite fantastic, and thanks to |
| processing softwares like GIS. | | | | the progress made in the design and appearance |
| The geographic information systems (thus the | | | | of the cameras. |
| abbreviation "GIS") are now employed by all | | | | As for the private applications, people who go for |
| mapping agencies, and aerial photography makes | | | | this kind of photography business to identify the |
| it quite possible to align the photographs with the | | | | boundaries of land properties or to simply get nice |
| real-world coordinates so they can be registered | | | | photos without a specific objective in mind. Aerial |
| and deployed widely. Google Maps highly relies | | | | photography needs the use of an excellent digital |
| upon this kind of photography, and with such | | | | camera, with a motion stabilizer and great optics. |
| model we aren't far from the operational model | | | | Otherwise, you will not get a lot of the |
| of Google Earth that depends on satellite images | | | | photographs! |